Attitudes Toward Politics and Public Service: A National Survey of College Undergraduates

Why not politics?
Community volunteerism is high, but political involvement is low among college students.
• 60 percent of college students are or have been involved in
community service during the past year.
• 16 percent have joined a government, political, or issues related
organization.
• 7 percent have volunteered or plan to volunteer in a political campaign.

College students are disillusioned about and disconnected from the political system.
• 64 percent do not trust the federal government to do the right thing all or most of the time.
• 74 percent of college students believe that politicians are motivated by selfish reasons.
• 87 percent say they need more practical information about politics before they get involved.
• 86 percent of students agree that volunteering in the community is easier than volunteering in politics.
• 97 percent believe "enjoyment of activity" is an effective factor in motivating them. But only 7 percent strongly agree that "political activity is enjoyable," while 46 percent somewhat agree and 44 percent disagree.

College students are seeking new ways to solve local and national problems.
• 85 percent prefer community volunteerism to political engagement as the better way to solve important issues facing their communities.
• 60 percent of students prefer community volunteerism to political engagement as the better way to solve important issues facing the country.

Sparking their interest
Show students that politics is an effective way to make concrete changes.
• 90 percent of students believe that showing students real-life examples of the efficacy of politics will motivate students to further political engagement.

Make politics more transparent.
• Demystify the process: 93 percent of students believe simplifying the process of registering and voting would be effective in motivating them to become more involved in politics and public service.
• Use technology: enabling
citizens to vote via the Internet would increase turnout among college students by approximately 10 percent.

Offer students more direct contact with candidates and public office holders.
• 94 percent of students say more direct contact with political candidates, campaigns, and institutions would be an effective way to raise political participation rates.
• 87 percent believe a presidential debate that focused specifically on the issues students care about would be effective.

Provide incentives.
• 95 percent say curricular partnerships between colleges and state or local governments in which students are permitted to earn academic credit for public service activities would be effective in motivating students to become more involved.
• 88 percent of students believe loan forgiveness programs and signing bonuses for graduates who commit to government
service would be effective
motivators.

Margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.45 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.

Both documents and further discussion of the survey findings may be obtained at Harvard Political Review Online (www. hpronline.org). The Harvard Political Review is a publication of the Institute of Politics.

For more information about this project, contact the Institute of Politics at 617-495-1360.

Source: Institute of Politics